For government contractors, the start of a new year brings with it a host of filing requirements in many states along the Northeast Corridor. Although some states (such as New York and Connecticut) do not impose annual or...more

This month marked the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court handing down its decision in Citizens United v. FEC. More than perhaps most other recent Supreme Court decisions, Citizens United has remained in the public...more

For government contractors, the start of a new year brings with it a host of filing requirements in many states along the Northeast Corridor. Although some states (such as New York and Connecticut) do not impose annual or...more

For government contractors, the start of a new year brings with it a host of filing requirements in many states along the Northeast Corridor. Although some states (such as New York and Connecticut) do not impose annual or...more

In every odd-numbered year the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is required to adjust certain contribution limits, expenditure limits, and the lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold by indexing them to inflation. ...more

On February 3rd, the Federal Election Commission increased the amounts that individuals and certain PACs can contribute in the 2015-16 election cycle. The most significant change is that individuals may now give $2700 per...more

The following describes the reporting requirements under Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island laws, which require certain corporate entities to file reports regarding their business relationships with state...more

On Monday, February 16, 2015, businesses, non-profits and special interest groups that paid more than $2,500 in 2014 to make lobbying communications to New Jersey State government officials, directly or indirectly (i.e....more

Similar to last year, there are no new disclosure requirements which need to be reflected in this year’s proxy statement; however, with ongoing shareholder activism and the desire of companies to communicate effectively with...more

In signing the omnibus appropriations bill into law on December 16, 2014, the President created new vehicles for making increased contributions to national political party committees. The Federal Election Commission, which is...more

Recently passed spending legislation dramatically increased the amount that individual donors may give to the National Party Committee accounts used to fund party conventions, construction and legal challenges. Specifically,...more

Atlantic County is one of three counties in the State of New Jersey with a stringent county pay-to-play ordinance in effect. Like many local pay-to-play ordinances, the Atlantic County ordinance covers contributions to...more

As long as there are governments, there will be government corruption. The temptations to abuse power are never going away, and neither is human frailty, which means government ethics will remain an important issue for, well,...more

ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services) has released its annual 2015 Proxy Voting Guidelines Updates. These guidelines apply to annual meetings to be held on or after February 1, 2015. Many of our clients have investors who...more

In this post published on October 30, I observed:
According to Enver Fitch and Limor Bernstock at ISS ESG Proxy Research, shareholders associated with the Center for Political Accountability submitted 47 proposals this...more

On November 4, 2014, Arkansas voters passed a constitutional amendment extending term limits for state legislators and tightening ethics laws. The amendment prohibits candidates from accepting corporate contributions,...more

In July 2011, a group of ten law professors filed a rulemaking petition with the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking adoption of a rule requiring disclosure of political spending by publicly traded companies. ...more

As November elections and some major ballot measures loom, and as 2016 general election candidates start copping to “thinking about a run,” now seems a good time to revisit the impartiality required of public agencies and...more

On August 13, 2014, an order was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in the matter of General Majority PAC v. Carol Aichele permanently enjoining implementation and enforcement of...more

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge William Caldwell permanently enjoined enforcement of Pennsylvania’s prohibition on campaign expenditures by banks, corporations or unincorporated associations (such as labor unions) as...more

On August 7, 2014, the New York and Tennessee state Republican parties brought suit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), challenging Rule 206(4)-5 (the rule). Specifically, the complaint seeks an...more

Following a wave of judicial decisions that have cleared the way for more soft money in politics, federal legislators have continued to press for the passage of laws creating more stringent regulations on donor disclosures...more

Last week, the Federal Election Commission did not meet, but released two Advisory Opinion Requests (AORs) and the results of several enforcement actions. Earlier in the month, the Commission’s Office of Inspector General...more

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, striking down the aggregate limits imposed on individual contributions under federal law, several jurisdictions also have taken steps to address...more